Cy Young Award
Quick Summary
The Cy Young Award is an annual award given to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate awards for the American League and National League since 1967. The award was instituted in 1956 to honor Denton True “Cy” Young, an American professional baseball pitcher who played from 1890 to 1911. Young holds the record for most career wins with 511 and pitched 7,356 innings, the most in MLB history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Roger Clemens…first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award seven times.
Read More…first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award seven times.
Read More
Clayton Kershaw…sport’s best pitchers, winning three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, and 2014). He helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 2020 and 2025. During the latter season Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in MLB history to throw 3,000 career strikeouts.
Read More…sport’s best pitchers, winning three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, and 2014). He helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 2020 and 2025. During the latter season Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in MLB history to throw 3,000 career strikeouts.
Read More
Tim LincecumHe again won the Cy Young Award, becoming the first pitcher in history to receive the award in each of his first two full seasons.
Read MoreHe again won the Cy Young Award, becoming the first pitcher in history to receive the award in each of his first two full seasons.
Read More
Pedro Martínez…losses, winning the American League Cy Young Award in 1999 and 2000. In 1999 Martínez led the league in victories (23), earned run average (ERA; 2.07), and strikeouts (313)—known as the Triple Crown of pitching. His 2000 season was arguably even better, as he not only led the league in…
Read More…losses, winning the American League Cy Young Award in 1999 and 2000. In 1999 Martínez led the league in victories (23), earned run average (ERA; 2.07), and strikeouts (313)—known as the Triple Crown of pitching. His 2000 season was arguably even better, as he not only led the league in…
Read More
Tom Seaver…and won the National League Cy Young Award three times. Seaver also led the National League in strikeouts five times, and his 3,640 career strikeouts rank sixth on the all-time list. His 61 career shutouts put him in a tie for seventh-best (with Nolan Ryan) in the history of major…
Read More…and won the National League Cy Young Award three times. Seaver also led the National League in strikeouts five times, and his 3,640 career strikeouts rank sixth on the all-time list. His 61 career shutouts put him in a tie for seventh-best (with Nolan Ryan) in the history of major…
Read More
Fernando Valenzuela…rookie player to win the Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in each league), while leading the Dodgers to the World Series title. Valenzuela was so popular—a phenomenon known as “Fernandomania”—that attendance increased by an average of 9,000 fans whenever he pitched in road games. He became a…
Read More…rookie player to win the Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in each league), while leading the Dodgers to the World Series title. Valenzuela was so popular—a phenomenon known as “Fernandomania”—that attendance increased by an average of 9,000 fans whenever he pitched in road games. He became a…
Read More